New Mexico History Museum

New Mexico History Museum Promoting understanding of the diverse experiences of New Mexico residents. Closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1.
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The New Mexico History Museum includes the Palace of the Governors, Fray Angelico Chavez History Library, Palace of the Governors Photo Archive, Palace Press, & Native American Artisans Portal Program. HOURS
Open Daily 10am-5pm from May through October
Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm from November through April.

📷Philomena Peña, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, ca. 1940. Photographer: Harold Kellogg. Palace of the Governors Photo...
06/25/2026

📷Philomena Peña, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, ca. 1940. Photographer: Harold Kellogg. Palace of the Governors Photo Archives Neg. no. 077496.


One of our sister divisions within the NM Dept. of Cultural Affairs is New Mexico Historic Sites, which manages 8 sites ...
06/24/2026

One of our sister divisions within the NM Dept. of Cultural Affairs is New Mexico Historic Sites, which manages 8 sites around the state. These sites offer placed-based history experiences, sharing multi-faceted stories of our state. This month, we highlight Lincoln Historic Site in the historic town of Lincoln, New Mexico.

Historic Lincoln is a community frozen in time—the 1870's and 1880's. The site includes 17 structures and outbuildings, seven of which are open year-round and two more seasonally as museums. Most of the buildings in the community are representative of the Territorial Style of adobe architecture in the American Southwest.

Lincoln is a town made famous by one of the most violent periods in New Mexico history. Today's visitors can see the Old Lincoln County Courthouse with museum exhibits that recount the details of the Lincoln County War and the historic use of the "House" as store, residence, Masonic Lodge, courthouse, and jail. Walk in the footsteps of Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and other famous and infamous characters of the Wild West.

Save the date to make a trip to Lincoln for Old Lincoln Days, Fri. - Sun., Aug. 7 - 9! Learn more and plan your visit at https://nmhistoricsites.org/lincoln

📸 Tira Howard Photography

Residents in the Burnham area of the Navajo Nation formed a grassroots organization to speak out against expanded coal m...
06/23/2026

Residents in the Burnham area of the Navajo Nation formed a grassroots organization to speak out against expanded coal mining and the construction of new power plants on their homelands. Come see this photograph taken by Carlan Tapp on the Navajo Nation in the early 2000s in our exhibition, "A Question of Power." The exhibition chronicles the story of three remarkable Diné (Navajo) women who helped defeat the construction of a coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Nation, known as Desert Rock, between 2004 – 2011.

📷 Palace of the Governors Photo Archives Neg. no. PAAC.0114.032.

Learn how Route 66 brought new opportunities for commerce but also deeply impacted Tribal communities in a special lectu...
06/22/2026

Learn how Route 66 brought new opportunities for commerce but also deeply impacted Tribal communities in a special lecture with Shawn Price, the Director of the Dineh Tah' Navajo Cultural Program.

📅 Sun., June 28, 2026
🕐 1 - 3 PM
📍 New Mexico History Museum auditorium
🎟️ Included with museum admission

Price will discuss how the rise of the automobile and the creation of Route 66 opened new opportunities for commerce and tourism while deeply impacting Tribal communities and reshaping the cultural landscape of the Southwest. After the talk, Price and the Dineh Tah' Dancers will perform traditional Navajo dances in the Courtyard of the Palace of the Governors.

It's officially summer (and Father's Day) and we hope you have a fun day celebrating! ☀️📷Summer Garden, Santa Fe, New Me...
06/21/2026

It's officially summer (and Father's Day) and we hope you have a fun day celebrating! ☀️

📷Summer Garden, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1880 - 1890?⁠ ⁠⁠Photographer: Ben Wittick⁠. Palace of the Governors Photo Archives Negative Number: 015814

🎉📚✨We still have spots left in the FREE Teen Zine History Camp!Teens ages 14 - 18 will explore some of the museum’s most...
06/20/2026

🎉📚✨We still have spots left in the FREE Teen Zine History Camp!

Teens ages 14 - 18 will explore some of the museum’s most fascinating objects and stories, then team up to design one epic group zine: a teen-created guidebook packed with insider tips, hidden gems, and surprising histories for other teen visitors.

🗓️ July 13–17, 1:00–4:45 p.m. (Mon–Fri)
📍 New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Ave., Santa Fe
🎟️ FREE for New Mexico teens ages 14–18
🔗 Registration required (space limited to 15): https://forms.office.com/g/EY2y9gfBPn

Let’s make history… literally! 🎨✨

Reeling In Community at Tingley Beach! 🎣The 4th Annual Foster Family Picnic & Fishing Event made a splash last weekend w...
06/20/2026

Reeling In Community at Tingley Beach! 🎣

The 4th Annual Foster Family Picnic & Fishing Event made a splash last weekend with more than 500 kids casting lines, enjoying summer fun, and taking home free fishing poles and bait—plus the chance to snag their very first fishing license!

DCA showed up strong, and the New Mexico History Museum was right there in the mix, celebrating family, storytelling, and New Mexico’s rich heritage alongside the NM State Library, NM Museum of Natural History & Science, and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

A huge shout‑out to all the foster and adoptive families! 💛🎣

🐝Beehives at J.R. Sleese’s apiary, Roswell, New Mexico, 1892. Photographer: Phillips & Sheek. From the Palace of the Gov...
06/18/2026

🐝Beehives at J.R. Sleese’s apiary, Roswell, New Mexico, 1892. Photographer: Phillips & Sheek. From the Palace of the Governors Photo Archives Neg. no. 005058.

📣📣New Exhibition Coming This Fall - Save the Date!As America celebrates its 250th birthday, New Mexico celebrates 114 ye...
06/17/2026

📣📣New Exhibition Coming This Fall - Save the Date!

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, New Mexico celebrates 114 years as a state. A new exhibition at the History Museum, “1912,” opens September 5, 2026, offering a snapshot of the state at a time of remarkable change and growth, and exploring what formally tied 327,000 Nuevo Mexicanos to the union.

The exhibition will let visitors step back into 1912 and explore a striking matrix of 36 historic objects that reveal interesting, surprising, and sometimes unusual connections from that time. Here's a sneak peek at a few unique items that will be on display!

(1) Souvenir New Mexico State Capitol vase, about 1912. (10722.45)
(2) Africo-Tubercular Sanatorium pin-back, about 1911. (2021.010.001)
(3) Governor William C. McDonald’s top hat, about 1912. (6842.45)

#1912

Join us this coming Sat., June 20, 2 - 3:30 p.m. for a free talk with historian Garrett Peck about New Mexico's q***r mo...
06/15/2026

Join us this coming Sat., June 20, 2 - 3:30 p.m. for a free talk with historian Garrett Peck about New Mexico's q***r movement during the 1980s. Admission is free, but registration is required at https://www.tickettailor.com/.../view.../id/7720146/chk/39bf.

The 1980s was a decade of upheaval for the q***r community. Freshly rebounding from singer Anita Bryant’s homophobic “Save Our Children” campaign, g**s and le****ns began flexing their political muscles. National Coming Out Day became a thing as more q***rs went public with their sexual orientation. Gay Pride events blossomed around the country, and the Second British Invasion, including Boy George and Culture Club, introduced an iconic synth-driven pop music sound that defined the era. But much of this progress was overshadowed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which devastated the community. In New Mexico, q***r-friendly politicians like Bill Richardson began to be elected, Catholic Archbishop Robert Sanchez took a stand to support congregants and families suffering from HIV/AIDS, Albuquerque Pride grew into a sizable event, and Santa Fe finally organized its first Pride in 1989.

📷Participant wears a "Coming Out" T-shirt during Santa Fe’s Third Annual Le***an Gay Pride Parade, 1990. Photo by Larry Beckner. The Santa Fe New Mexican Collection, Palace of the Governors Photo Archives HP.2014.14.860.

Address

113 Lincoln Avenue
Santa Fe, NM
87501

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

(505) 476-5200

Website

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